Blue-printing machine



May Z0, 1924 W. M. CUMMSKEY BLUE PRINTING MACHINE Filed March ll, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l m BY His Av1-overnam May 20 1'924.

w. M. CUMMISKEY BLUE PRINTING MACHINE Filed March 1l. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INvEN-roll Patented May 20, 1924.

WILLIAM I. CUMMISKEY, OF NEWARK, NEW J BLUE-PRINTING MACHINE.

Application led March 11, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. CUMMIs- KEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city kof Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain useful and new Inventions in Blue-Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to blue printing machines of the cabinet type suitable for oilice and drafting room use by individual firms', corporations and others desiring to do their own blue printing. In general, such a machine comprises a table top cabinet having a series of drawers for storage purposes. Within the cabinet and easily accessible is a proper source of illuinitiation, a supply receptacle for blue print or other sensitized paper, a transparent table and suitable means for properly placing the print to be reproduced over the said table; and further means for varying the exposure of the sensitized material to this source of illumination,

It is an object of this invention to provide a neat, compact, and thoroughly reliable machine for the purpose described, suitable .for individual use, and yet practical for commercial purposes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a machine which is self-contained to the extent of having not only blue-printing means but also storage facilities for the sensitized paper, for drawings, tracings, completed prints, and such other material as may be necessary or desirable. f

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine in which the source of illumination may be movable in such a manner that the rays of light therefrom may properly reach all parts of the print.

A still further object is to provide means for reproducing various sizes of tracings of drawings and the like, and to provide means r' whereby the period of exposure may be varied and predetermined.

Still another object of this invention is to provide automatic means for accomplishing the various objects desired in a satisfactory and commercially practical machine of this character.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrange- `a support for cross-bars 7*, 7?,

Serial No. 451,562.

vherewith and changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend no limitations other than those imposed by the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly diagramma-tic and partly sectional of a side of a machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional detail of a portion of the time setting arrangement.

Fig, 3; is a front elevation partly in section of the machine of Fig. l, showing the preferred arrangement of the storage drawers.

Similar reference characters relate to similar parts throughout the several views.

The embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings comprises a cabinet 1 (Fig. l) having a portion of the top 33 hinged so that it may be readily raised (when the printing machine is to be loaded and may be let down again so that the upper surface of the cabinet may be used as a table or drawing board. Across the bottom of the cabinet may be disposed a base board l forming a lower closure for the cabinet and on which may be a chest of drawers 7 forfthe storage of drawings, tracings, prints and other materials.

Preferably located above the chest of drawers and near the top of the cabinet is a curved glass panel 3 sloping from one side of the cabinet to the other substantially, and supported by any convenient frame work affixed to the frame of the cabinet l.

Preferably at the bottom of the cabinet 1 and supported by pillow blocks 19, 19, on the base board lal is a shaft 23 which supports an upwardly extending frame 2 which may be oscillated about said shaft 23, the latter being held rigidly in the pillow blocks 19 by set screws 19a. The frame 2 may be freely oscillated about the shaft 23 between the extreme positions indicated (Fig. l) by the center lines 34 and 35, and carries at its upper end a suitable lighting element 4, in this case a Vmercury lvapor lamp, mounted in supports 4a, 4a, on frame 2. Below the lamp and suitably disposed in connection therewith is a refiector 5.

The shaft 23 is inclinedfrom one side of the cabinet 1 to the `other and the lighting element 4 is similarly arranged parallel to said shaft 23, directly below the curved glass panel 3, which in turn is inclined substantially parallel to the shaft 23 and is curved substantially as a portion of a cylindrical surface having its axis corresponding with the airis rof the shaft 23.

Aflixed at one end of the glass panel 3 is a curtain 31 of any suitable material such as felt, rubber, or similar stuff, mounted on a roller` 31a extending the length of the glass panel 3. The roller 31a is so adapted and arranged as to permit of being rolled from the limiting element of the curved panel 3 at the end where the curtain 31 is attached tov the limiting element at the extreme other end of the curved surface, so that the glass panel 3 may be completely covered by the curtain 31. The purpose of this curtain is vto hold the sensitized paper and negatives or tracings to be printed Vproperly in position against the surface of the glass panel3.

At the side of the cabinet 1 preferably corresponding to the end of the curved plate 3 where the curtain 31 is affixed, is a switch comprising a fixed member 27, a contact making member 28 pivoted as at 28"l `and spring-pressed `as b y a resilient member 29. At the corresponding side of frame 2 is an actuating rod 26 adapted to engage the contact member 28 and force it out of contact with the fixed Acontact member 27 when the frame 2 andV therefore the light 4 is at one extreme position of its travel. Suitable connections are made between the light. element 4 and a source of electric current in which the switch 28 is so arranged as to insure the light 4 being cut off' from its source of current when the connection between contact-27 and 28 is interrupted. In this way the lamp or light 4 is never in action at one extreme of the oscillating stroke of the frame 2.

Mounted on the shaft looselyand affixed to the frame 2 is a sprocket 18 operably connected by a chain 17 to a sprocket 8 afi'ixed to a gear 9 and mounted on a shaft 9a in a side fra-me 9b.-located at one side of the cabinet 1.. The bottom of the side frame 9* forms a dash pot 16 having a by-pass 1Gn fitted Aat its upper end -with a regulating screw 14 (Fig. 2 lithin the dash pot 16 is a reciprocating piston 11 fitted with a valve 12 which is normally held closed by a spring 13. Attached to the piston 11 is a piston rod 10 comprising a rack in mesh with the gear9.

Aflixed to the frame 2 adjacent to the sprocket 18 is a cam member 20 to the pe ripherv of which is affixed a strap 21 as by bolt 20a, A tension spring `22 is connected with the'strap20r and an eye-bolt 24 fastened to the cabinet frame 1 and adjustable as by a nut 25 to give varying tensions of they of the plate 3. A tracing or other drawing or negative is placed against the glass plate 3 and over it is placed a piece ofv sensitized paper in the usual manner, the cover 33 being raised for `this purpose. The curtain 31 is drawn over these papers by the process of rolling the roller 31a toward the other side of the curved glass panel 3. The frame 2 is manually moved from its normal position sho-wn in dotted lines at the extreme point of its travel 35 to any other position desired up tothe limiting position 34. In so doing the spring 22 is stretched and the piston 11 in dash pot 16 is raisedby the connections through sprocket 18, chain 17, sprocket 8,V gear 9, vand the rack on piston rod 10. When the frame is released as at position 34, the energy stored in spring 22 returns the frame to its off position f 35 against the retarding influence of .the dash pot 16, the degree of this retarding effect being controlled by the freedom of passage of ythe dash pot fluid through the by-pass 16 as is well known in the construction of dash pots. fThis passage of Vfluid through the by-pass 16a may be regulated. by the ad-l justing screw 14 (Fig. 2) which isadapted to vary the size ofthe by-pass opening. With a liquidof definite viscosityiand one which is not affected by temperature changes a predetermined and even rate of actuation of the piston 11 may be obtained. `Suitable indicating means maybe placed on'the screw 14 or on its head so that any 'desired' time of travel of the dash pot may be obtained, and thus of course, corresponding travel Yof the frame 2 and of the lighting element 4. 1t is apparentthat, when the frame -2 is in position 34, a maximum pull of the spring 22 is required due tothe weight of the frame and parts amxed thereto. To give this added pull, additional leverage is obtained by the shape of cam 20 as previously pointed out.

What I claim is:

1. Ina device of the character described, a transparent panel, a pivoted mo-vable frame, a light sourceaffixed thereto arranged toY move Vin a pathfsubstantially.parallel with said panel, and means'for moving said frame about its pivoted axis.

2.. Ina device of the character. described,

an arcuate transparent panel, a. shaft disposed at the axis of said panel, a radially extending frame supported by said shaft, a light source affixed thereto, and means for moving said light source in a curved path substantially parallel to said panel.

3. In a device of the character described, a cylindrically curved transparent panel, a mounting therefor, a light source, a pivoted movable support therefor, coaxial with said cylindrically curved panel, and means for moving said light source about said support axis to guide the light source in a path parallel with said panel.

4. In a device of the character described, a semi-cylindrical stationaryT transparent panel, a frame pivoted near the axis of said panel, a light source having substantial lengthsupported by the frame in position parallel with the aXis of the panel and arranged to be guided by the frame in a path parallel with said panel. f

5. In a device of the character described, a curved transparent panel, apivoted movable iframe, and a light source thereon arranged to be guided by the frame in a path parallel with said panel, and a switch for said light source arranged to be opened by the frame when the frame has reached one end of its path of movement.

6. In a. device of the character described, a curved transparent panel, a pivoted movable frame, a light source thereon arranged to be guided by the frame in a path parallel with said panel, and a switch for said light source arranged to be opened by the frame when the frame has reached one end of its path of movement, said frame being manually movable away from its switch opening position, and motive means for returning the frame to its switch opening position.

7. In a device of the character described, a curved transparent panel, a pivoted movable frame, a. light source thereon arranged to be guided by the frame in a path parallel with said panel, a switch for said light source arranged to be opened by the frame when the frame has reached one end of its path of movement, said frame being manually movable away from its switch opening position, motive means for returning the frame to its switch opening position, and an adjustable retarding device cooperating with said motive means to control the rate of movement of the frame in one direction.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 9th day of March, A. D. 1921.

WILLIAM M. CUMMISKEY. 

